For more than a year, the Hamilton County Board of Education has been undergoing a process to create a 10-year facilities plan for the district’s school buildings.
The board initially voted to spend nearly half a million dollars to assess the condition of the district’s facilities and develop a strategic plan for capital projects and maintenance in December 2018.
A preliminary report, conducted by MGT Consulting Group and presented in July, identified more than $1.36 billion in capital needs across the district’s 74 schools and recommended adding to 10 schools, building new facilities for three schools and closing 15 school buildings.
On Jan. 13, the board reviewed a different option, which would decrease the number of schools to be closed as well as reduce the sizes of some schools from what was suggested in the first report. It focuses on “maximizing efficiency and effectiveness” and proposes $869 million in renovations.
Ahead of this week’s meetings, which include two community forums, private focus groups and a school board work session on Wednesday, what are school board members’ thoughts on the process and the recommendations so far?